The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and is suitably applied to a rotary head type digital audio tape recorder (DAT), for example.
On each of the recording tracks of a magnetic tape recorded in the conventional DAT format, there is formed a sub-data portion which records start information representing the heads of the pieces of music, program time, absolute time, calendar information, etc., in addition to a main data portion having the pieces of music or the like recorded by digital audio signals.
Practically, each piece of start information is recorded as data with logic "H" level in the head of each piece of music as a record unit for about 9 seconds. As the program time, relative elapsed time between pieces of start information with logic "H" level is recorded taking after-record editing into consideration.
As the absolute time, elapsed time from the head of the magnetic tape, for example, is recorded, and in the calendar information, the recording times are recorded as date and time information including year, month, day, hour, minute and second.
Here, the DAT has a music scan function: start information is searched by sequentially fast forward reproducing the magnetic tape from the head thereof; and the pieces of music are sequentially reproduced from the timing of detecting each piece of the start information only for a predetermined period of time (10 seconds, for example). Thus, the facility for the user is enhanced by reproducing and listening to sequentially only the head portions of all the music recordings in the magnetic tape.
However in the DAT it is necessary to correctly record the start information for the music scan function previously described. On the other hand, it is not possible to use the music scan function in music tapes which have no start information recorded on them.
For example, a magnetic tape may have programs, each of which consists of pieces of music, recorded on it. In such a case, the system is enhanced in utility by searching and reproducing heads of programs recorded on the magnetic tape. The music scan function previously described can merely scan all the music irrespective of the programs, and hence it is still insufficient in facility.